


Lady I Swear By All Flowers.

by aimmyarrowshigh, nichestars



Series: Since Feeling Is First [4]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Sequel Trilogy, Star Wars: Poe Dameron (Comics)
Genre: Awkwardness, Bi!Karé Kun, Bi!Poe Dameron, Canon Compliant, Cunnilingus, Cutesy, Established Relationship, F/M, First Time, Loss of Virginity, Oral Sex, Racing, Teenagers, Underage Drinking, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-06
Updated: 2016-07-06
Packaged: 2018-07-21 20:52:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7404037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aimmyarrowshigh/pseuds/aimmyarrowshigh, https://archiveofourown.org/users/nichestars/pseuds/nichestars
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Poe hops from foot to foot at that, gives her a sheepish smile. "Let's, um. Find that hover-bus."</i>
</p><p>
  <i>Karé grins, and gives him a nod that doubles as an obvious glance at the crotch of his pants.</i>
</p><p><i>The hotel that Poe found is nice enough to be on a level where the sky is still visible, far, far overhead. It's hazy with the exhaust of millions of speeders and ships, the blue taking on a brilliant false shade of aquamarine, but it's still there.</i><br/>--</p><p>Or, Poe and Karé are <i>that</i> soppy, romantic teenage couple.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lady I Swear By All Flowers.

**Author's Note:**

> Poe and Karé are not yet graduated from the Naval Academy and are too young to legally drink, but they are both past the age of consent In Space, etc. YMMV and you can decide what that means, tbh. 
> 
> [Karé Kun, the cutest and prettiest and badassiest woman In Space, fyr](http://66.media.tumblr.com/10937c7d9d90bccafa426548f3948ce6/tumblr_o591d5Gw5U1rx9xdlo9_1280.jpg).

They aren't allowed to fly themselves to Coruscant, even though it's a relative puddle-jump between any two Core sectors and Poe and Karé are, respectively, the second and third cadets in their class. Something about liability and the ships being Republic property. So instead they're crushed onto a transpo freighter with a thousand other beings making the commute from Hosnian Prime to the old Galactic Center.

Poe grits his teeth every time the freighter jags a turn that should have been easy, even with a ship this size and full of such shifting cargo as living things.

Karé pats his hip, both of them holding onto the same rail as they shoot through space.

He leans into her, their feet braced together on the floor of the freighter, and smiles at her tensely. "Gotta be close, now." 

"Can't be too much longer," Karé agrees, and slides her fingers through his beltloop, more to keep him close than for balance. Though it's a good excuse.

Poe smiles at her for that, even though his eyes are still distracted by the rush of blue hyperspace passing by the window. And the small, tentacled child smearing something that looked like jelly all over the transparisteel as they press their face against it to watch, too.

Karé follows his gaze and watches as the kid coos in excitement over whatever they can see out that side of the transport. Their mother pets their tentacled head and turns another page in her book. It's nice to see _families_ again; some of the older enlisted officers have their families with them in on-base housing, but the cadets rarely interact with anyone but their commandants and each other.

The freighter veers again like the pilot only just remembered their destination, and Poe's soft smile fades as he scowls again.

"I can fly better than this," he grumbles. "Even Meltsa flies better than this."

"Don't tell Meltsa that," Karé laughs, and slides her thumb into the waistband of his pants, rubs at his hip soothingly. "Calm down, this is an adventure."

Poe glances again at the small, gooey child, his eyebrows a bit scandalized. Karé rolls her eyes. It's just his hip. Even non-humanoids must understand the relative chastity of hips.

"I think they're a little distracted, anyway," she mutters. "I can stop, if you like."

Poe shakes his head. "I could use a distraction. From this terrible piloting. Karé, we're stopping at _every_ moon. If they'd let us take the A-wing — "

"We'd've gotten there an hour ago, I know," Karé soothes him. "But it can't be that much farther. And then we have two whole days." She smiles at him, slow and secret.

Poe finally cracks, smiling back and easing closer around the support rail. "Two days all alone."

"You'll get sick of me pretty quick," Karé promises. "And then you'll be begging for the trip home."

Poe wraps one arm low around her waist, and pulls her in closer. "Don't think so."

Karé doesn't really think so, either. She wouldn't get sick of Poe, not in two days, not in two hundred days. She's sure of it. Tired of him, exhausted by him, maybe. But never to the point of wishing him away.

But still: they've never been _alone together_. It just doesn't happen, living in dormitories under the ever-watchful eyes of droids and resident advisors and Lieutenants and roommates and, and, and.

Karé had been nervous about it, the last week, while she was packing and repacking her entire three outfits of civilian clothes, but now, it just seems like a relief. They can lean in as close as they like, and there's no curfew for it, either.

They can do whatever they want.

Poe squeezes her waist, ducks his head in against her neck. "What're you thinkin' about?"

Karé weighs the merits of lying before she leans her lips up to his ear and says, "You. Of course." The freighter jolts to a stomach-turning landing. "And how much I hate this kriffing excuse for a pilot."

"See, I knew this guy was bothering you too." Poe seems a little too pleased by that, shaking his head. His fingers, though, have curled tighter against her side, tucking into her front pocket slightly. "Anything about me in particular?"

"Just that I love you." Karé smiles, first at him and then at the realization that the whole freighter car is shifting to its feet around her. They've arrived. "Hey! We lived!"

“A miracle," Poe says. "Thanks to all your gods."

Karé sniffs, but she isn't actually offended. At least Poe believes in the Force, and they have that in common.

They both heft down their luggage once the two Hutts who had taken up the majority of the car ooze their way through the door and down the ramp to the spaceport. Poe shoulders his backpack and gives Karé a wild, giddy grin, reaching out to take her hand.

She threads her fingers through his and lets him lead the way down the ramp, through the crowd and into the terminal. The small child and their mother from across the transport have made it to the far side of the exit, and are embracing someone who appears to be a grandparent. Karé can't help smiling at them.

Poe squeezes Karé's hand, and when she looks over at him, his mouth is gaping open a little in amazement as he stares around at the immensity of the Mezzileen Spaceport.

All around them, freighters land and leave in great cracks of hyperspace jumps; air taxis rush by with speeds that leave cold wind in their wake. And _beings_ are everywhere. The high ceiling even leaves room for things with wings to stretch them after long journeys.

Karé might not have wings, but she'd like to stretch too, after the rocky transport ride; a few slow series of the deep breathing exercises and flexibility training that the cadets do as warm-ups would be good, right now.

But they still need to figure out which hover-bus they need to board to get to their hotel for the weekend, so she settles for cracking her neck.

"I can give you a shoulder massage later, if you want," Poe says, finally looking at her again after his wide eyes have swallowed the whole grand terminal.

"Maybe," Karé nods. "I'm sure we can figure out _some_ way to relax."

Poe hops from foot to foot at that, gives her a sheepish smile. "Let's, um. Find that hover-bus."

Karé grins, and gives him a nod that doubles as an obvious glance at the crotch of his pants.

They find the next available spots on a departing transpo to the mid-levels just before the doors slide shut. It's even more crowded than the freighter had been.

Even Karé can't hide her disdain at being elbowed and shuffled about in the press of bodies, but it's a short trip to the first stop, and enough people get off the transport to make the rest of the ride bearable.

The hotel that Poe found is nice enough to be on a level where the sky is still visible, far, far overhead. It's hazy with the exhaust of millions of speeders and ships, the blue taking on a brilliant false shade of aquamarine, but it's still there.

Their room has one large bed against the wall, and a table and chairs by the transparisteel door to a balcony. Poe sets down his duffel, and Karé leaves hers in one of the chairs and opens the door to the balcony. The street below is busy, but the noise is ambient, not overly noxious.

"There's a big fresher in the bathroom," Poe says, stepping out behind her. "Water and sonic. Just think, we can use as much hot water as we want here."

Karé hums happily and smiles at him over her shoulder. "No two-minute time limits. I might even be able to get all of my hair wet."

"I could fall asleep in there, probably," Poe laughs. "My dad says he used to have to watch me in the bath when I was little, it made me so sleepy."

Karé smiles at him. She's seen holos of baby Poe. He was the fattest human baby she's ever seen. She counted seven chins in one holo of him on his mom's lap in the old A-wing. It's easy to imagine him swaying sleepily in a bath full of warm bubbles, and his father easing him upright again.

"Maybe we'll wait for that, then," Karé says. She turns back to the view. "Don't want you to fall asleep just yet.”

"You're gonna kill me, you keep saying stuff like that," Poe grumbles, stepping closer and resting his chin against her shoulder.

"Well," Karé says mildly, and she turns just enough to nuzzle his jaw. "Don't want to do that."

"Bit counterproductive," Poe agrees, softly, tipping his face to where he can kiss her.

It's a soft kiss, clinging and comfortable. Poe tastes like recycled air from the freighter and Karé is sure that she isn't any better. But he's warm and close and his arms fold around her. A breeze ripples across their balcony — probably the wake of another hover-bus, but fresh all the same. It flutters the loose baby-hairs around Karé's braid.

Poe sighs as they break apart, blinks at her fondly. "Are you hungry? Do you want to go out somewhere, or I can get us whatever you'd like, really — "

"Whatever I want?" Karé teases. "A fine Alderaanian Toniray, vintaged sometime in the Old Republic then, please."

"Old Republic." Poe shakes his head. "Kriffing hell, Karé. Maybe nothing that's older than us, huh?"

"Ugh, you promise me the stars and give me nothin' but stardust, Dameron." Karé puts a hand to her forehead in a dramatic approximation of a holonovela that she _knows_ Poe has seen at least ten times. "How about some sandwiches? Maybe soup? Is that in the budget?"

Poe flicks her hip lightly. "I guess I can make that happen, yeah. I saw a shop on the corner when we got off the transport."

Karé touches his cheek and wriggles out of his arms. "Sounds good. No rush; I'm going to check out that fresher you promised. I won't stink when you get back, how's that for enticement?"

"I'm so enticed right now," Poe says, barely even joking, watching her walk back into the room and giving himself a shake.

Karé takes her duffel with her into the fresher, because she doesn't want Poe to see the surprise — surprises — that she's packed for their Romantic Weekend Getaway.

Poe does a complicated little rhythmic knock on the fresher door as he leaves; "I'll be back in twenty? Love you."

Karé smiles at the mirror as she starts to undo the long pins from her hair. "Love you, too. Don't take any buggy credits."

She can hear Poe laughing as he shuts the door behind him on his way out.

Her hair is heavy and familiar when the braids fall, loop after loop loosening and then sliding to coil around her shoulders. She massages her temples, then her scalp — she can feel her posture loosening, relaxing as the tension dissipates.

She spares herself a glance — more than a glance — in the big, well-lit mirror above the sink basin before she turns on the fresher. It's not like she thinks Poe really cares that much what she looks like, she trusts that he loves _her_ , but it's just — the light in the freshers at the Academy is terrible. She's just checking.

She's got a couple spots on her forehead, but those'll match the ones on his jaw, and her eyebrows have filled back out from the time Iolo exploded the battery they were working on in lab class and singed them both.

Good enough.

Better than most.

Karé is neither too proud nor too humble to admit that.

She unpacks her toiletries and lines them up on the sink, starts the water in the fresher. She really shouldn't take too long; if Poe gets back and she's still locked in the fresher he'll start getting nervous.

But it's _hot water_ and it doesn't have that terrible carbon smell that the treated water on Hosnian Prime does and it feels _so good_.

She shampoos her hair twice just because she can, all the way from the roots to the ends. She hasn’t been able to really lather it like this in months, not since the Life Day break back home. Two minutes is not time to wash this much hair, but she _can't_ cut it.

(And, legally, the Academy can't ask her to: cultural expressions are exempt from uniform requirements, and Karé's hair is as Nabooian as she is.)

It feels so heavy in her hands, wet, like a comfort. Maybe Poe will help her braid it again later. He's good at it. Nimble fingers.

Karé's face goes hot under the stream of water as she thinks about what else those fingers are good for.

She finishes her shower in a hurry after that, because Poe must be back now; she thinks that she can hear him puttering around in the main room even over the roar of the real water hitting the transparisteel fresher door.

She has a moment of quandary as she drips on fresher mat — she should put on something, obviously, but she doesn't want to get into her clothes from the trip here, and it seems awkward to put on night things when it's only dinner time.

She wraps into a robe as a compromise — nothing especially sexy, just plain and deep brown and a little outsized — and brushes her hair with a drying comb because otherwise it will stay damp for ages.

There's a soft knock on the fresher door, and Karé looks herself over one last time in the mirror and squares her shoulders.

She opens the fresher door and steps out into the main room.

And has to press her hand to her mouth.

"Hey," Poe says, "Don't laugh." He makes a face at her.

"Oh," Karé coos. "Poe."

There are squat white candles on most of the flat surfaces of the furniture, flickering gently in the artificial dim of a Coruscant evening. Flower petals, only slightly wilted, trail in a big heart on the floor in shades of red and pink and yellow.

"I know it's a bit — " Poe shrugs, and Karé tackles him in a tight embrace, wrapping her arms around his neck and peppering his face with kisses. 

"I like it," she promises. It's a bit much, but Poe's face is so hopeful that she can't be stingy with her joy.

Poe looks as pleased and pink and... shiny with joy as he squeezes Karé close and shimmies a little. "Yeah?"

"I like it," Karé says, looking right into his eyes. She nudges their noses together lightly. "But I love you."

Poe grins, and it's shy and earnest, makes her stomach turn over. "I love you, too. I just wanted it to be special."

Karé's tummy flutters, which is silly, because _virginity is a construct_ and _she's done enough exercise and shaak-wrangling and acrobatics in her life that she probably doesn't have a hymen anyway_ and _it's just sex_ , but. It's _Poe_ , too. And it's important to him. And he's important to her.

"Anyway," Poe clears his throat, voice going a bit funny, "I did get you those sandwiches."

"Great," Karé murmurs against his lips. She doesn't let him go just yet.

Poe pulls her in closer by the waist, like they're going to slow dance, and licks his lips. Their mouths are close enough that the tip of his tongue brushes her lips, too.

Karé nips his lip with her teeth in return. "How long did it take for you to plan all this?"

“Dunno. Been thinking about it a while,” he says. “I got that fizzy ginger drink you like, too? I know it’s not Old Republic vintage, but.” His smile smushes against her mouth.

Karé kisses him and then pulls back, letting their fingers trail against each other before parting. She turns, starts to head over to the tiny woven-reed table in the corner — cheap stuff, but not terrible — where Poe's set out the sandwiches and packing foam cartons of soup like it's a much fancier meal. She looks at Poe over her shoulder. "I've been thinking about this for a while, too."

Poe flushes, and rocks on the balls of his feet. "I think I'm gonna shower too? Just really quickly. You can go ahead and eat if you want to, though."

Karé nods and sits on one of the low chairs by the small table. She makes a show of crossing her legs, letting the robe shift and peek.

Poe groans under his breath and shakes his head at her before he disappears into the fresher.

He is quick: Karé has opened one of the small bottles of fizzy drink and snacked on half of a sandwich, but not properly begun eating before the fresher door opens and he reemerges. His hair is damp, and he's obviously combed through it, slicked it back behind his ears.

He's only wearing underwear, and Karé smiles and flushes and doesn't really want to finish her sandwich now. There's a mini-conservator, and there will be time to eat later.

"Are those okay?" Poe asks, indicating the sandwich she's pushing away on a napkin. "They looked alright, but if they're funky — "

"It's good." Karé wriggles her fingers in a vague 'come hither' and Poe sidles closer, his steps slow and sure and hips-first, smiling down at her.

"These new?" Karé reaches out and runs her fingers across the hem of his boxer shorts. They're dark blue, and slippery-soft to the touch.

Poe nods. He cocks a hip out to pose, ridiculous, pouting at her. "You like them?"

"They're ridiculous," Karé says, and gives them a tug. "Like you." They look good though, the waistband low on his hips, the color deep and royal against the gold of his skin.

"They're very comfy," Poe reports, and leans down to kiss the top of her head before he takes his own seat across from her at the tiny table. It's so small that their knees press together.

"Very _sexy_ ," Karé wiggles her brows at him, and passes a sandwich. She leans back in her chair a little, takes another slow sip of the ginger drink. This time she lets her lips linger around the mouth of the glass bottle.

Poe's eyes are big and dark and intense as he stares at her. Even with a cheek bulging with food, he's beautiful.

The air conditioner in the room is turned up higher than Karé would find comfortable, usually, but tonight she feels overheated and shivery, and the cold air helps, even if it gives her goosebumps up her arms. The room isn't soundproofed completely and the constant buzz of hover-traffic outside makes her feel like they're in a strange, timeless bubble.

"You're not eating," Poe observes, nudging her foot with his under the table. "You okay?"

Karé nods. "Just not that hungry yet. I'll put it away for later."

Poe's ankle curls around hers, and his skin is so warm it makes Karé squirm in her seat. "I'm going to use the fresher," she announces, getting up quickly, and when Poe looks like he might protest, she leans over him to kiss his mouth closed again. "I'm _fine_ , I just want to change to better match your fancy pants."

"They're comfy pants!" Poe calls behind her back as she half-jogs to the fresher again.

Her duffel is still in the corner where she left it, and she knows that Poe wouldn't have touched it. Even if he were curious. He's a good boy.

He's _her_ good boy, and that makes her shiver again, bite her lip as she shuts the door and digs through her bag. She should brush her teeth, she decides, first, just so there's no chance of getting mint paste on the fabric.

She brushes her teeth twice and checks them in the mirror even though she barely ate anything, and certainly nothing with strings or seeds that might ruin _everything_.

She leaves the robe in a heap on the floor even though it'll drive Poe nuts when he sees it later. Isn't that the sort of the point, though? She gets to drive him crazy for the next fifty-odd standard hours, and it's the best feeling in the world.

Karé bites her lip as she takes the surprise she'd bought out of the duffel.

It was entirely too expensive for how little fabric is actually involved, but she has a feeling that the look on Poe's face will be worth it.

Anyway, he'd wanted to pay for the hotel himself, and she hasn't splurged on anything since she started at the academy — it had felt right, and special, to do so now.

It takes some detangling to get all of the strands of silk and pearls to sit right, but in the end she's — 

When she looks in the mirror, she sees the girl who used to sit on a throne and be treated like royalty. And it feels good.

Karé knows the moment she opens the door, any pretense of them having other plans for the evening will crumble entirely.

She gives herself a last look in the mirror, straightens her shoulders, and opens the door.

There's a clatter as Poe drops his datapad on the floor.

"I was just — music?" He says, staring, fumbling to pick up the device. "I thought you might- wow. You look incredible, Karé, shit."

Karé smiles and lifts one shoulder. It makes some of the strings that drape all across her chest move, and she almost wants to giggle at the way Poe's eyes follow them like a boloball match. Almost.

"You look like a queen," Poe says, very softly, like he's not sure he’s allowed to say so.

"Thank you," Karé says, very regally, and lifts her chin. "You look like a very loyal subject."

"Oh," Poe says, his voice cutting out. "That is — really, really hot, when you say it like that."

Karé sashays closer — she knows she’s sashaying, even if it’s silly, rather than walking. “Yeah?”

"Ohhh yeah," Poe says, dragging it out. He slumps a little in his chair, one hand twitching on his thigh.

Karé stops, close enough for him to reach out and touch her.

She kind of wants to see how long it takes him to build up the courage.

Poe looks up at her. "Karé, kriffing — I don't wanna break it, or anything."

"You won't. It's sturdier than it looks," she says, and she tugs on one of the draping ties to demonstrate.

It doesn't rip. But it does slide open at the touch, showing Poe another inch of soft, brown skin.

Poe swallows visibly. "I don't wanna get it, like. My fingers are all greasy, I'm just gonna. Go. Wash — hold on." He almost drops the datapad again in his hurry to get up, and she hears his muffled curse as he bumps his elbow on the fresher door frame.

Karé stays where she is, although she does bend down to save the poor abused datapad. And pick her own music. Poe has terrible taste in music.

But — 

He has a playlist called 'Karé' and it's all of her favorites.

Of course he does.

She can hear water running in the fresher, and then Poe is emerging, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. He's very carefully _not_ looking at her now, or at least not anywhere below the neck.

"Is this okay?" Karé asks, a bit shy now herself, and she stands — like herself, again, like she does every day at the Academy. "I just... I wanted to look nice for you."

"That is so okay," Poe gestures vaguely with one hand. "I just don't want to make it weird by staring at you, I don't really know where to look?"

Karé smiles at him again and reaches out until he comes close enough that she can take his hands and kiss the palms and then set them on her ass. "Anywhere you want."

Poe's fingers twitch reflexively, and he steps in until his bare toes touch hers. "There's a lot to look at," he says, leaning his forehead against hers and smiling shyly.

"And just think," Karé says, and she ghosts her mouth over his. Barely a kiss. "You can do more than look."

" _What_?" Poe says, eyes widening exaggeratedly.

"Yeah!" Karé says, the same wide-eyed innocent look right back. "You can listen or smell or touch or — "

"Taste?" Poe asks. His eyes are still wide.

"Or that," Karé says, pressing up against his chest to kiss him again. His mouth is soft and tastes like mint, and his teeth tugging on her lower lip sends something hot twisting down in her tummy.

"I put your sandwich away," Poe says between kisses. They sway slowly backwards towards the bed.

The bed.

They have a bed, a whole bed, not a bunk, a whole big bed that will fit the both of them with room to spare.

"Great," Karé says, right up against his mouth, before she licks inside. "I was really worried about that."

"I know," Poe says. He gives her a nudge onto the mattress before climbing up after her, long and lean and caged over her like a leopanther. "I know you."

Karé thinks she should feel more awkward, shuffling backwards on the bed. It's hard to feel awkward though, with Poe watching her like he is, his eyes on her stomach and thighs and breasts and always, always coming back to her face with a smile.

Once her head hits the pillow, Poe pulls back to look down at her. He's almost straddling her thighs, looking down at the lingerie pensively. Or else he's very intently memorizing her chest.

"How does — how do I — " He gestures. "Does that come off?"

"It doesn't have to," Karé shrugs, running her fingers over the beads that crisscross her ribs.

Poe looks torn. "It's really pretty. But I want to see _you_."

A laugh bubbles in Karé's chest, and she props up on her elbows. "Alright. Help me? You can untie it behind my neck."

Poe does as he's told with gentle fingers, and with gentler fingers still he peels the fabric and beads and pearls away.

Karé helps, tries to keep the beads from tangling too badly, or tries to at least _look_ like she's doing something helpful. She doesn't know what else to do.

Once the wraps get down to her hips, Poe looks at her again. His tongue pokes out, pink, to wet his lip.

Karé lifts her bum to help him ease the remainder of the lingerie off and down her legs.

Poe scoots backwards, off the bed, and hangs the fabric over the back of the chair carefully, then comes back to stand at the edge of the mattress. He curls one hand around her ankle, rubs his thumb across the arch of her foot where he knows she's ticklish.

He opens his mouth. Shakes his head and closes it again. Opens his mouth.

"Well, say _something_ ," Karé says finally, propping herself up on her elbows.

"You, ah." Poe shakes his head again, blinks like his eyes are dry from staring so much. "Did you shave?" He's looking studiedly right below her belly button and no lower.

Karé nods. "I — thought you'd like it?"

Poe frowns, looking up at her. "You didn't have to. Like, I don't give a shit — " he crawls up over her, propping up on his hands, either side of her shoulders. "About the lingerie, or the, like, however you wanna do your thing, I just... I just love _you_ , you know?"

Karé kisses the tip of his nose. "I know. I wanted to, though, and I thought you might like it, so it was just... a plus."

Poe kisses her chin, and then they both tilt enough for their mouths to meet. "I'm not complaining," Poe breathes. "Just saying, like. I don't _expect_ this stuff, it isn't what I'm here for."

“I know that,” Karé nods. 

Poe's brow is still furrowed. "As long as you don't think I think you have to."

"I don't think that you think that I think that you think that I have to," Karé says.

"Okay." Poe seems mollified, and also distracted, given the way he's working his mouth down her throat on a clear path to her chest.

Karé sighs, shifting on the mattress. She pets Poe's hair. "That's nice."

Poe eases further down, pressing his face between her breasts and sucking a mark there with his lips and teeth. "Bet you're gonna get so wet like this," he murmurs, "Like, if I go down on you, it'll be all messy."

"Oh, fuck," Karé whispers. "Yes, please. That. Yes."

Poe's chin snaps up — "Now? Can I?"

Karé nods, probably a little too fast. "Yeah. Definitely."

Poe kisses her chest again, right where he's left a pink mottled mark, and then nuzzles her breast like he can't help it, leans up to kiss her on the mouth again. "Okay, right."

A smile spreads over Poe's face. "Hey. Hey! There's room. You won't hit your head on Iolo's bunk or anything if — " He flops over next to her and lies back, his head on the pillows. "Come up here."

Karé kisses his shoulder, because it's within reach, and rolls over on top of him, straddling his waist. "Like — " she bites her lip. 

"Yeah," Poe nods. "Please?"

Her stomach tightens — both nervousness and excitement.

"If you don't like it we can switch," Poe says, softly. "But this way you're in charge."

Karé swallows and looks down at him. She pets his cheek, runs her thumb across his lower lip. "I do like to be in charge."

"You do," Poe admits, his nose wrinkling playfully. "You're good at it," he adds, squeezing her hip. "Come on, Karé. C'mere."

Karé nods and knee-walks up over his chest until she's — 

"Here?" She asks, looking down. All she can see is the top of his head.

Poe's hands slide up the backs of her thighs.

"Yeah," he says, and she can _feel_ it, hot breath ghosting against the insides of her thighs.

She squirms. But he's done this before — not _this_ , not let her just _sit on his face_ , but he's licked her out before, three times — so she relaxes and lowers until she feels his lips.

It's — different, like this. Obviously, Karé thinks. Poe shudders, and she thinks maybe she should lift off, make sure she isn't smothering him, but his arms are wrapped so tight around her thighs she can only move further _down_.

She tries to keep still, but it's hard. He's so, so close to being in _just_ the right place but he's — not, quite, and if she just shifts her hips…

“Fuck," Poe says, or something close, so muffled Karé can't be certain. He licks up against her, imprecise with urgency.

She can't help it. She has to shift, she has to rock down just a little — bit — 

"Oh," she sighs, because Poe follows what she wants and _there_ he is, and it's so much.

Poe's hands grip her waist and slide down to her hips, digging in and _pulling_ her down again, and then again, rhythmic against his face.

"Oh," Karé whimpers, and her nipples go hard all of sudden, fast enough that she _feels_ it and her eyes squeeze shut. She catches onto the headboard, which is thudding softly against the wall. "Toraya's tits, Poe."

 _Blasphemy!_ mutters a voice in her head, but _really_.

Poe squeezes her hips and tilts his head back. She can feel his chin move against her cunt when he talks, "Just like that, Karé, fuck — fuck, babe."

"Oh — okay," Karé pants. She's never felt — 

It's not that anything she and Poe have ever done has felt _bad_ , or anything, it always feels good. And a lot of girls don't come, or don't come easily, or whatever, she knows it's normal and she's never stressed out about it.

But this is different.

Poe huffs, hot breath right over her clit, and licks his lips, which runs his tongue all over her, and Karé jolts, grabs tighter at the headboard.

Her breath is coming faster than the first time she jumped into hyperspace without a flight instructor in the copilot's seat. The same kind of tingling weightless floating feeling is starting to wend its way from her fingertips up her wrists and into her arms, her ribs, all through her organs like they're crackling with blue light.

One of Poe's hands comes off her hip and it takes her a while to realize he's hold it up to her, palm open, fingers spread, waiting for her to take it. She has to pry her fingers from the wood of the headboard, but it's worth it when he fits his palm against hers, hot and a touch sweaty.

She feels... more in control, now, of the lightning zinging through her veins. Still out of control, but less like a free-wheeling fall than a nosedive, careful, about to skim the atmo line that perfect way that everything goes weightless and white for a second.

Poe licks over her clit again and this time he closes his lips around it instead of backing off, sucks at her sweetly.

Karé's thighs close around his head.

She can't help it.

Poe makes a desperate noise that reverberates all through her, and sucks harder, tilting his head up, chin rubbing at her slickly.

And Karé…

Somehow, Karé becomes an X-wing.

That's the only explanation she has for how she's suddenly _flying_.

Poe wraps his arm around her waist to keep her upright, lets her squeeze his hand so hard she can feel his bones shift.

She shivers and shudders and she can feel a sticky-drippy wet feeling between her legs, right where Poe's face is, and she's gotten wet for him before but this is _ridiculous_ and her face goes hot.

Poe's using just the tip of his tongue now, moving over her in kitten licks from her clit down and back up again, everywhere — and Karé shudders when she realizes he's _cleaning her up_.

She twitches, unsure whether she's moving closer to or away from his soft mouth.

She uncoils her fingers from the headboard, which she'd been gripping so hard her knuckles creak.

Poe gives her hand a little squeeze, and leans back, gazing up at her with shiny eyes, questioning.

Karé scoots back enough that when she collapses down onto him, she can nuzzle at his neck. "Where'd you learn to do that, huh?"

Poe's chest and belly are warm and solid, comforting under hers where she's curled up like a loth-cat on top of him, still shivery inside. She can feel Poe's hard cock through the slippery silk boxers pressing up towards her.

"Just been thinking about it a lot," Poe says, and then, lower, "You know I've never done it for anyone but you."

"I know." Karé kisses his neck again. "I've — well. You know I've never done _that_ for anyone before, either. Not even myself."

"So it _did_ work that time?" Poe sounds delighted. "I thought it did, but I wasn't sure!"

"Yeah." Karé still feels hot with it, and Poe's excitement makes her squirm again. She's also still _so wet_ , and when she presses her thighs together her stomach twirls in a hungry way. She wonders if she could do it again, so soon.

Poe laughs breathlessly and his cock twitches under Karé's slumped belly and Poe kisses her hair over and over, like she's the one who did something amazing.

"Maybe I could try again with my fingers?" He asks, when her breathing has settled, and he's playing with her hair.

Karé pulls herself up enough that she can see his face. "Don't you want anything now?" She rolls her hips down against where he's so hard under her.

Poe's face scrunches up adorably. "Of course I do, I just — " he takes a deep breath. "It's supposed to be easier if you, um, if you use fingers first."

"Oh," Karé says. "Right." She smiles at him and rocks back again. "You _are_ big, I guess."  
"You guess," Poe says.

Karé shrugs. "I dunno, I've only seen them in holoporns and like, that time we all went swimming — and I wasn't really _looking_ at Iolo or Muran." She makes a face.

Poe smirks. "Muran has tentacles. By default he's the biggest. At least, voluminous... ly."

Karé apparently had been paying even less attention to their other classmates than she had thought. She shakes her head. "I don't really want to talk about Muran right now."

"Me, neither," Poe says. He kisses her hair again. "But can I? Try with my fingers? Maybe since you're more, like, sensitive now, it'll be... better. Than usual."

Karé hesitates for a moment, before wondering _why_. If he wants to try, it's worth letting him, especially if it works as well as he so badly wants it to. "Alright."

Poe hums happily and rolls them over, gentle, laying her out on the mattress. There are flower petals on the pillows, too, that she hadn't noticed before, and she picks one up to flutter against his pink cheeks with a small, sweet grin.

“I like these," she admits. "They're pretty." 

"You're pretty," Poe counters. He leans into the touch, smiling, snaps his teeth at the petal she waves. His hand settles on her stomach, warm but light, like he's trying to keep that tiny weight off her.

Karé cards her fingers through his hair again, just holding Poe close to look at him. 

"You know it doesn't, like... it doesn't make me love you less when I don't come from, when we do stuff, right?"

Poe looks away, for a moment, and then back to her, nods. "I just wish I were better at it," he says, quietly. His fingers drag down the soft crease of her thigh and hip.

"I don't think you're bad at it," Karé says, and she means it. "It always feels good. I tell you when it doesn't. I think it's just — it's different. But it's okay. Okay? I just... I probably won't come when we actually do it, at least the first time. And that's okay."

Poe's quiet for a moment, and then he leans in against her shoulder, nuzzles at her throat. "Then I better figure out what worked just now and do that again, before we do anything else."

Karé shivers and pets his hair. It's so _soft_ , the curls falling through her fingers with the same liquid feeling as the silk of her abandoned lingerie.

Poe's hand spreads low across her stomach, fingertips spreading her open to rub on either side of her clit. He gasps before she does at how slick she is.

He looks down at her with so much longing on his face that it makes Karé's heart hurt inside her chest. She lets go of his hair and rests her hand against his cheek instead, bringing his face down so she can kiss him.

Poe opens his mouth for her as soon as she licks at his lips, whimpers right against her tongue. He rubs around her clit with two fingertips, so slow that Karé raises her hips to speed him up.

It's nice, a buzzy kind of feeling in her belly, and Poe's hands are warm and callused and attached to _Poe_ , which helps.

He's so, so gentle when he shifts to press one finger into her.

Karé turns her face into his shoulder, closing her eyes tight. His fingers are always nice, but this time is different, like the heat from earlier hasn't entirely dissipated.

"You're so wet this time," Poe mutters, his lips close enough to Karé's that they brush her mouth. She opens her eyes and his are open, too, his face still right up close. "You're amazing."

"That's all you," Karé breathes. "Shit." Her face has gone hot again, and when she rolls her hips up, Poe's finger curls. The heel of his hand grinds against her pubic bone, and he kisses her cheek. Karé inhales shakily.

Poe kisses her cheek again. And then the corner of her mouth, and her chin, and down along her neck with lots of tiny soft open-mouthed breathy kisses and touches of the very tip of his tongue just like she likes.

"Is it working?" He glances up at her, his mouth just above her nipple, lower lip shiny. 

"I don't know," Karé says, honestly, tipping her chin back and shivering. "It feels good — "

Poe swallows and nods. "Good. That's... good." 

He nudges her nipple with his nose, his eyes smiling at her all bright and warm, and he keeps those eyes right on hers as he closes his lips around her nipple after and sucks.

Karé grinds her hips up so that his knuckles press at her clit more firmly, and stares back at him, watches his eyes widen as he feels her body tense and finally, finally uncoil, go even wetter against his fingers.

He lifts his head. A thin string of spit connects his mouth to her breast for a second before it shines and breaks. "Did you — was that — "

"I don't know," Karé says again, breathless. "It felt... really good, but... not as — " She gestures with the hand not braced on the back of Poe's neck; when did she do that? "Hyperspace."

Poe nods, quick and slack-jawed, and shifts to get his mouth on her other nipple. Where Karé can't see, she feels him starting to work a second finger alongside the first.

She lifts her hips again, experimentally, and Poe's fingertips rub gently at her — then more insistently, changing his angle slightly. 

"Hyperspace, huh?" Poe sounds hopeful, like just her admitting that it happened once makes it more likely to happen again.

Karé nods, both of her hands coming up to weave through Poe's curls now, just to have somewhere to put them. Something to steady the shaky feeling in her fingertips while she carefully ignores the slight burn of Poe's second finger and its knobbly knuckles opening her up.

"You're so gorgeous," Poe mutters, leaning his head into her hands like a loth cat chasing scratches. He curls his whole hand between her legs, and presses up with his two fingers as his thumb rubs right up against her clit.

It's a lot, this feeling, having so much touching her in so many places all at once, and she can feel something start to _change_ , and her hips jolt back, trying to get away from it.

"Karé?" Poe doesn't stop, but he's watching her face carefully, ready if she tells him to.

"I don't — know?" She squirms again, but she's not sure anymore whether she's moving away from his hand or up towards it.

Poe leans his forehead against hers, and rubs his thumb around her clit — vaguely Karé can tell he's getting sloppier, less concentrated, but he's _trying_. His fingers twist again inside her.

"I — " she cuts off with a squeak, everything building to a fever-pitch. 

"Please," Poe whispers against her mouth, "Please."

This time, it's hyperspace again, but it lasts longer, until she can't breathe, and she's clutching his neck, arching up against his body. Poe kisses her all over her face.

There's a cramp in her calf when she finally takes a breath again. She's clutching Poe so tightly that he probably can't breathe, either, her legs and arms all wrapped around him and his hand still trapped tight between her legs.

"Sorry," she says, when she can speak without squeaking. In the past his fingers inside her have always begun to ache, but now she's almost glad of them. The emptiness of the alternative seems unbearable.

Poe shakes his head. His sweaty forehead is still pressed up against hers. "Don't be sorry. That was amazing. I love you so much."

"You're amazing," Karé says, still breathing hard. "Poe, that was — you were." 

"I was," Poe says, fond and... Equally as breathless, Karé realizes, now that she's capable of realization again.

Karé finds her hands and lays them on Poe's face so she can look into his eyes again. "I want you, Poe." She smiles encouragingly and nods. "Now."

"Right now?" Poe looks genuinely surprised. "Are you sure? I just don't want to hurt you — "

"Might anyway," Karé says, and bites her lips together. "If not now, then... what do you want to do?"

Poe frowns, and eases his fingers free, wipes them on his underwear. Doesn’t put his hand back on her, but keeps it on his thigh instead. “I /want/ you, I just--thought we should wait a minute, at least?” He gnaws on his lip. "I don't want to hurt you, it shouldn't hurt, it doesn't have to."

Karé props herself up on her elbows and looks at him, kneeling over her in his ridiculous silk undewear. There’s a dark spot at the front. His chest is as shiny with sweat as his forehead. His small, dark nipples are hard, too, and Karé wants to lick them. 

He swallows. His adam’s apple bobs. 

Karé’s face softens; he’s nervous. More than she is.

"Maybe we just — " Poe swallows again, and it looks painful. "We don't have to, it's not like we can't _stop_ , if you don't want to." His hand is shaking.

"Poe," Karé sits up, folds her legs and rests her hands on her knees. She knows he can see absolutely all of her, but she's not embarrassed. Not around Poe. "Same for you. If you — we don't have to. Do you... maybe go get dinner instead or... take a nap?"

Poe's face goes through a series of emotions so varied and quick it's humorous. "No, I — I want this, Karé, I just want it so much it's — I don't want to make you feel like that's _all_ I want."

“I know that,” Karé says, and she kneels, too, scooting closer to Poe up on her knees. “Do you really think I think that? Do you honestly think that I’d love you if I thought you were just with me to get in my pants?” 

"No," Poe says, easily. "I know you don't, like, in general, but I wanted to be extra sure you didn't think it tonight."

"That's very nice of you," Karé says. She reaches out and takes his hands, laces their fingers together. They're still damp — wet with _her_ — and she clenches a little, shuddery. "Very gentlemanly."

"My mother raised me to be one," Poe says, rubbing his thumb across the back of her hand. He squeezes her fingers gently. "Can I ask you something?"

It's Karé's turn to be nervous, but she squeezes Poe's hand back. "Of course."

Poe looks up at her solemnly. "Do you really think it's going to hurt?"

Karé kisses his nose. "Probably. But I'm a tough cookie. It's not like I think you're going to _try_ to hurt me, or anything. And I'm, like, flexible and stuff. So I probably won't bleed, at least."

Poe groans and flops back against the mattress, shoves his face into the pillow. "I don't _want_ that."

Karé is torn between laughing and sighing in fond frustration, so instead she does neither and drapes herself over Poe's back. She combs through his hair with her fingers and kisses the crest of his ear. "Sorry, bud. I think them's just the breaks."

"It sucks," Poe says, muffled. "I don't want to want something that hurts you." His hand is still clutching hers, tangled in the sheets. He turns his face in the pillow to look at her, eyes liquid and earnest. "I'm such an idiot," he says. "I thought if I could make you come, it wouldn't hurt after."

"Aw, Poe," Karé coos again, "You're not an idiot. You're very sweet." She kisses his cheek. "But if it doesn't bother me, then it shouldn't bother you _this_ much. Besides," she says, and snuggles closer to him where she's still lying atop his back, "It's not like this is the only time we're ever gonna do it. Eventually, it won't hurt at all."

Poe sighs so deeply that she sways on his back, which makes her laugh, and then rolls over, tugging her with him so she sprawls across his chest instead. He peers up at her. "Alright."

Karé rolls her eyes. "After all that, all you can say is 'alright'?"

Poe finally cracks a smile. "Well, I know better than to argue with you."

"We really don't have to do it yet if you don't want," Karé says. "We can... I don't know, I'll get a big vibrator or something and practice with that. Or something."

"But I do want," Poe says, exasperatedly. "That's why I feel bad, Karé, Force."

Karé props herself up enough that she can look down at Poe, very serious. "You know that wanting to have sex even though it might hurt me isn't the same thing as wanting it because it's going to hurt me, right? Like... they're not the same, and _I want it, too_. Even though it might hurt." She kisses his chin. "I'm just saying. And if — if you really think it'll help, you can try some more fingers first."

Poe looks away. "I just wasn't sure _you_ really wanted to, or... When you said that about it hurting, I thought maybe I'd got it wrong, or was just, like, assuming." He squeezes Karé's hand very, very hesitantly.

"Poe." Karé crawls over him so that she can look at his face again. "I want this. I want you. I want your dick in me. Sooner rather than later, but whenever you're ready, I'm ready."

Poe bites at his lip. It's gone dark red where he's been worrying it, but now it looks more like he's trying to keep from smiling too widely. "Alright. Um — about the fingers, two is probably, like. Enough? Three would be more than — " he flushes, and leans up very quickly to kiss her.

Karé has no such compunction not to grin against his mouth. "Okay. I mean, you'd know, I guess, Iolo says your dick and your fingers are very well acquainted."

"Ha," Poe kisses her, "Ha."

Karé wiggles her eyebrows at him. "I'm hilarious, I know." She shifts back, straddling his waist, and then a little further — she's still bent over him, close enough to kiss, but she can feel his cock against her ass now, can even feel the damp spot it's left on his underwear.

Poe gazes up at her steadily. "You could stay like this," he says. "You'd be in charge."

She rubs back against it, relishing in the feel of it hardening up. 

"I — well, you're not the only person who did some research," Karé says. "I asked around. A bunch of the other flygirls said that it... well, it's harder this way the first time. But that after that it gets better."

"Oh, well — " Poe looks lost, again, like any bravado he had was just used up. "Um, did they say how you should do it the first time?"

Karé shrugs one shoulder. "I mostly asked Jessika and Greer — "

"You asked _Greer_?" Poe sounds almost more distraught than he has yet. 

"Yes, she's my RA. And she's had a lot of sex. She just said to put a pillow under my hips."

"Well, what did Jessika say?"

"Gross."

"What she said was gross?"

"No," Karé says. "All she said was 'gross,' and so I went and asked Greer."

"Ugh," Poe groans, and lets go of her hand to throw his arm over his face. "This is a disaster. Is there anyone who _doesn't_ know we're trying to have sex tonight? And that I'm going to be awful at it?"

"Um," Karé pretends to think. "Captain Verlaine? My moms? Your dad? Oh, gods," she looks down at Poe, "Please tell me you didn't tell your dad."

Poe peers at her over his forearm. "I mean? Not — in so many words?"

It's time for Karé to collapse face-first into the pillows, groaning.

He frowns. "I mean, he knew I wasn't coming home this weekend, so he wanted to know where I was going to be. I just said I wanted to take you someplace nice, and then he gave me this speech about lube."

"He gave you a speech about lube," Karé says into the pillow. The pillow that is her home now. She's never, ever looking Poe in the face again.

"He said it was really important that everyone like, mutually enjoyed it, and that lube always helped — "

Karé narrows her eyes, into the pillow fluff. Actually, this is making more sense now; Poe's enthusiasm in getting her off first, and his worry over hurting her — some pep talk, she thinks.

"Lube!" Poe yells, and the mattress shifts. Karé peeks out of her pillow and Poe is bounding off the bed. "I am an idiot!"

"You're too close to your dad," she mumbles, but Poe is off somewhere rambling about lube and can't hear her. "What the fuck," she says flatly, raising her head to stare at him, bent over his duffel. "Poe, what — "

"Aha!" Poe triumphantly turns around, holding a small dark-blue bottle aloft. "I totally forgot I bought this, and I woulda been so mad."

Even staring at him, mottled pink chest and sweaty curls, obviously and ridiculously hard in his boxers, Karé feels a wave of affection so strong she could sink under it.

"Come on then," she says, wearily and fond.

Poe scrambles onto the bed, enthusiasm renewed by his faith in high-quality lube.

Karé holds out her hand, and he plops the small bottle in her palm. She examines the label, turns it over. "Alright then." She looks at him. "You didn't happen to grab a condom while you were over there, did you?"

Poe nods and he plops that in her other hand. A zing of excitement goes through Karé again, even though she isn't still soft-open and buzzy like before. They're really doing this.

"So," Poe says. "A pillow under your hips?"

Karé nods and sets both the bottle and the foil packet down on the bed so she can wend her arms around his neck and drag him closer to kiss again. She isn't _nervous_ anymore, but her heart is beating hard and fast and she wants — she wants to feel whether Poe's matches.

Poe tugs her in with his arms around her waist, pulling her into his lap, and sucking on her lower lip hungrily. His hands slide up her back to caress her shoulder blades, and down her hips to touch her ass worshipfully.

Karé slides her hands down his front at the same slow, purposeful pace, thumbing over his nipples and following the line of dark hair under his navel down to the waistband of his silk boxers, now very wrinkled.

"If you touch me I won't — " Poe shakes his head. "I think I'd come just like this."

"Okay," Karé says, because — well, he's done that before, the first time she put her hand down his pants, so she believes him. "Um, should I — just get the pillow set and... and stuff?"

"And stuff," Poe says, hoarsely, clearing his throat. "I can help, here." He tips her backwards, somehow still careful in haste, his hand behind her head when it hits the bed.

Karé licks her lower lip, mouth suddenly dry, and lifts her hips when Poe pulls the second pillow across the bed.

Poe pushes it under her ass, as gently as he can, and curls to press his face against her tummy, kiss her very gently just above her clit. "I want you on my face again," he mutters. "Not now, but. Soon, please?" His hands are busy, stroking up her thighs and finding the lube in the sheets, slicking up two fingers and easing them into her.

Karé nods, opening her legs wider. She doesn't really know what to do with her hands. "Yeah, that's definitely happening again before we leave."

"That's right," Poe muses. "We have the whole weekend here."

He looks as overwhelmed by that as Karé feels; already, it seems, like so much has happened, and nothing's even really started yet.

"I wanna make you come so many times," Poe whispers, hot against her hip. "On my mouth and my fingers and — " he looks up at her, hopefully. "Maybe on my cock, too, if I'm lucky."

His hands ease her hips further up on the pillow, and he kisses her again on the stomach.

Karé nods, a hot-cold rush flooding through her chest at the words, at the pretty way Poe's mouth looks when he says dirty things and the image in her mind of what it'll be like when they're _good at this_ and she's confident with it and she knows they'll get there. Maybe not this weekend, but definitely sooner rather than later, if she has anything to say about it.

Poe sits up and slides his fingers free, squirts more lube on them and spreads it over her gently. 

"You'll tell me if it's awful, won't you?" He squeezes her hip, fingers a little sticky. "If it hurts too much," he adds, firmly.

"Yeah," Karé says. "Have I ever not told you when you're doing something awful?"

"This isn't the same thing as messing up N-dimensional calculus proofs," Poe says. His eyebrows are drawn very low and serious.

"I promise," Karé says. "Poe, come on." She raises her leg, knocking her knee gently against his hip. "I want you." 

It's true enough that it aches; not the same sort of hunger as her arousal before, but a deep, warm fondness that's overtaken it.

Poe nods and takes a deep breath. Something in him seems to center, because the nervous, serious boy is replaced by the Poe she knows and loves and sometimes despairs of, his eyebrows wiggling at her as he slowly lowers the waistband on those ridiculous fancy underpants.

Karé curls her fingers under her knees and pulls them back, keeps her eyes carefully on Poe's.

Poe's knees get slightly tangled in his boxers, but he recovers with enough grace that even Karé doesn't want to laugh at him for it.

She doesn't want to laugh at him right now. Her heart feels too big for a laugh to have room to grow in her lungs, like... everything in the galaxy is Poe, right now, and this bed that he sprinkled with flower petals just because he wanted to make things nice for her, and all of his warm golden-brown skin for her to touch.

And he's going to be irreversibly _hers_ , now; she'll always have this perfect ridiculous night with him, no matter what. She wraps her legs around his narrow hips, pulling him in closer.

"Wait," Poe stutters, "Gotta — lube."

"Condom," Karé says.

"Right, that," Poe mumbles. "Very important. Condom, and then lube." He looks up at her face again. "Just... wait a second. For me. Wait."

"Very important," Karé echoes. "I've waited years for you, anyhow. I don't think a second more will make a difference."

Poe stops moving at that, throat bobbing, blinking like he forgot to put up the glareshield and Karé is a star.

"I've waited years for you, too," Poe says, finally, very quiet. He clears his throat after it creaks on the last words.

"I know," Karé says, equally soft. "Waited for each other, didn't we? Proper sops."

Poe smiles shyly at her from under his long, long lashes, and then he's rolling a condom onto his pretty cock and there's a wet sound of lube. He's heavy but careful when he settles over her.

"Anyway," Karé says, licking her lips. "I've been waiting longer than you have, if you count my horrible crush on you." She can't help glancing down between them, the way Poe's hand is very tight around the base of his dick.

Poe laughs under his breath and kisses her cheek. "I would have had a crush on you back then, too, if I'd liked girls yet. But I think I just had a crush on the T-75s."

Karé snorts, a soft laugh for a joke that they've already laughed at for years, and then lifts her head just enough to catch Poe's lips.

"You still have a crush on the 75's," she says, right up against his mouth. "But I bet you'll think this is better than flying."

"Duh," says Poe, very romantically.

Karé slides one hand between them, and runs her fingers over the head of his cock. It feels funny with the condom on.

Poe makes a high-pitched noise. "That's — um. Can I, sorry, I want to, um — "

"Can you?" Karé grins up at him.

Poe rubs his lips together. He shifts up close enough that the tip of his erection juts up against her, not quite where it needs to go. But close. Close enough that Karé's grin fades into something more tender, nervous. 

"That's up to you," Poe says, and she believes him.

"I told you," Karé says, "I want you. Poe." She tilts her hips up, searching.

Poe groans, kissing her, and down below he slides around in a way that brings some of the buzzy warmth back.

"Sorry," Poe whispers after a minute, "I gotta look and see what I'm doing."

Karé nods, leaning her head back, blinking up at the ceiling. It's a pebbled texture that looks like stars at light speed. Her hand is still between them, and his cock bumps the back of her knuckles. She eases her fingers up, spreading herself for him, when he leans back to look.

"Force, that's pretty," Poe mumbles, and Karé isn't sure that he meant for her to hear it.

She arches her back, showing off, and reaches up with her other hand to push hair off her face, cup her breast. She wants to be _touched_ , she realizes, wants him back over her, pressed into each other tightly. "Come on," she says. "Do it."

"I'm trying," Poe says, and then there's — pressure. A kind of blunt, stretchy feeling.

"Oh," Karé says, reflexively, and has to hold very still not to pull away on the same reflex.

Poe doesn't say anything, just breathes hard enough that she can see his chest rising and falling, and he guides himself in another inch.

Very carefully, Karé eases her leg up further around his waist. "Here," she breathes, "Poe — " and tugs at his arm.

"I don't wanna slip out," Poe says all in one big breath. "Hold on, I wanna — I wanna kiss you, so bad, but — hold on."

"Alright!" Karé's voice slips out more sharply than she means it to. It's not even painful, yet, just _strange_ , and she wants him _closer_. Wants his arms around her.

It is just another minute, another strange long hanging minute of sliding pressure _weirdness_ , and then Poe looks up at her face and nods and he folds himself down over her.

Karé closes her eyes for a moment, and takes a deep, deep breath, shifts her hips experimentally. Poe gasps, hot against her neck, and Karé shifts again, this time up against him.

It slides Poe another inch closer, further into her. Karé thinks he must be at least halfway in, now, and he was wrong about it not feeling like much more than two fingers.

It doesn't feel like fingers at all. Karé shudders, and arches up again. Poe is barely moving, and _one_ of them should, at least, she thinks.

Poe makes a warning noise in the back of his throat and touches her cheek, bringing her face up for a frantic kiss, all tongue and no finesse.

Karé lifts her leg until her knee is nearly tucked into Poe's armpit, and Poe whimpers against her lips as he slots tighter against her. Distantly Karé registers that her nipples are hard again, pressed to his hot chest.

She rubs them up against his skin experimentally.

Down between her legs, everything feels softer and wetter and Poe doesn't push so much as _sinks_ another move further.

"Oh," Karé says, again, this time louder. "Fuck." It isn't exactly _light speed_ , and it aches, oddly, what might be pain. But it's not bad, either, and there's possibility to it. Especially when she opens her eyes and Poe is staring down at her like she's the most precious thing in the galaxy.

"It's okay?" His face is red and shiny and his curls are all matted around his forehead, and he's beautiful. And he's _hers_.

"It's okay," Karé promises. "It's okay, Poe, I don't mind, come on."

He kisses her again and groans desperately against her lips. It makes Karé shiver, the _deliciousness_ of it: she made Poe make that sound, feel this way.

"I want you to," Karé says, and bears down on his cock like she plans to keep it.

Poe pulls away from the kiss just far enough to bury his face into the side of her neck, muttering _fuck, Force, kriff, Karé_.

She likes the way her name sounds in his mouth, like a curse and a prayer at once.

He shakes. All of Poe's weight comes down on Karé's front, but she likes it. How solid he is.

She wraps her arms around his neck and pushes her fingers into the curls at his nape. "Is it good?"

Poe nods, mouthing at her neck. He scrapes with his teeth. Karé hopes that he leaves a bruise in the shape of his mouth for her to show off like a medal when they get back on Centaxday.

Karé tugs at his hair and tugs his shoulders and clenches around him until she can't feel anything _but_ Poe, and Poe makes a wounded noise against her neck and jerks. It does hurt, then, for just a second, when he shoves a little too deep at the wrong angle, but — just for a second.

"Oh, _fuck_ , I love you," Poe groans, and he grinds rhythmless and messy against her, too much and not nearly enough all at once. He's heavy and sweaty and she knows that look on his face, she's made him make it before.

"Now you love me?" She says, breathless and fond and teasing, staring up at his sweet face.

"No, I love you all the time," he snuggles down against her like he could curl up and live inside her ribs. "Love you absolutely all the time, you're the best person in the whole galaxy. In the whole universe."

Karé laughs, and gently cradles his head against her, combing through the sweaty curls at his neck with her fingers. "It was good though. You liked it."

Poe nods very earnestly. His hair flops against her face. "Uh-huh. A lot. A lot, a lot. That was... very nice. Thank you. A lot."

Karé laughs, and holds him tighter to her, until something shifts awkwardly, wet and uncomfortable. "Alright. Can you move, though?"

Poe nods and pulls back. He holds onto the condom carefully as he withdraws. His nose wrinkles adorably as he peels it off and ties the end. 

Everything he does is adorable, Karé thinks, smiling faintly.

"Sorry," Poe mutters, "Hold on." He gets up and sways slightly, walking to the fresher. Karé watches his ass like she does every chance she gets, and then his cock when he comes back. It's dark red and soft, and she had it inside her just a moment ago. She wants to again, even. He slumps back down beside her and tucks his nose against her throat. "Sorry, figured leaving it on the floor would be gross."

She turns to face him. Brushes her nose against his. "Very considerate."

Poe kisses her, just a brush of lips together. "Are you okay?"

"I'm really good," Karé says. "I liked it."

"I didn't hurt you too badly?" Poe's fingers tiptoe down her stomach, cup between her sprawled thighs gingerly.

"Nm-nm." Karé shakes her head and she wriggles a little, her thighs opening just enough for Poe to fit his hand, but not quite enough to move. It didn't hurt, but she feels strange there, achy and empty.

Poe sighs, nuzzles his nose along her cheek. "I'm really glad." His hand slides back up, and rests over her tummy.

"Me, too," Karé says. "But I really did like it. It wasn't, you know... _great sex_ , but it was sex that I liked." She kisses him again. "Can we do it again later?"

Poe laughs, breathless and croaky, against her neck. "Um, yeah? Fuck."

Karé grins and strokes her hand down his back, long and slow, until she can cup his ass and give it a good squeeze. 

"Hey," she murmurs. "I like your butt."

"I like your butt," Poe retorts, sounding sleepy. "I like your butt and your boobs and your, uh — " he presses his face into her chest, and his cheeks are hot. 

"My what?" Karé squeezes his ass again, digging her fingers in.

Poe talks into her breastbone. "I don't know any respectful words for it."

"Neither do I." Karé grins. "I like your butt, and your fingers, and your cock. Does that make you feel better?"

Poe grins, all white teeth, against the side of her breast. "In a lot of ways." He shifts up, sliding against her so that his thigh slips between her legs to press against her. He kisses her ear before whispering, "I like your ass and your tits and your pussy. So there."

Karé turns her face to kiss his cheek and then his upper lip. "I like it," she admits. "When you talk like that." 

The words never sound the way that they do coming off the lips of gross old men in the streets, for one thing.

Poe blushes again, kisses her cheek. "I'll work on it."

Karé's hands are still on his butt, and his thigh is still wedged up between her legs. The vague pressure feels good, less intense than the push of him fitting into her, but nicely solid and smooth and hot.

Good, but not urgent, and Karé sighs. "Are you hungry? We could eat, and maybe clean up a little before we try it again."

Poe nods. "Starving. I could eat a whole one of those big... rodeo-things you have, what are those called?"

"Shaak," Karé says, smiling. "They're like, 90% fat. I've eaten shaak, at a diplomatic... thing. It's not good."

"Okay, I could eat something _as big as_ a shaak," Poe amends. "But those sandwiches aren't bad. Here, I'll get them, you don't have to move." He kisses her forehead and sits up slowly.

"Thanks, lover," Karé says, and she gets a thrill about that name being _true_ now; Poe is her _lover_. 

He smiles at her over his shoulder like he's thought the same thing as he takes the half-eaten sandwiches and fizzy drinks out of the mini-conservator.

Karé props herself up with pillows against the headboard, and Poe brings the food over, props one of the bottles against her knee. "We could get in the fresher after we eat," Poe suggests, when he's settled beside her, picking apart a sandwich to eat it in pieces.

Karé nods and folds her legs up to sit most comfortably. The sandwich is better than she remembers it being. "Okay. Will you help me with my hair, after?"

"Yeah," Poe nods, "of course." He leans into her shoulder. "I love doing your hair, you know that."

Karé chews her sandwich and smirks. "Remind you of your long, luscious hair before the Academy?"

"Yours is better than mine was," Poe laughs. "You take better care of yours, anyway. Mine was always a mess."

Karé snorts a laugh into her ginger drink, because she's seen enough holos of long-haired Poe. 

"Blue milk conditioner," she advises. "If you ever grow it out again. That's the key."

"I think I'm okay," Poe says. He kisses her shoulder. "Unless you want me to."

Karé scoffs. "I like your hair as it is," she says. "But I'd still love _you_ if you grew it out. Just don't do it for me."

"I won't, then," Poe says. "Besides, it's against uniform code." He shrugs. "'S'alright. It wasn't like I wanted long hair, I just..."

"Didn't want to cut it," Karé says, softly. She leans forward to kiss his cheek. "I know.”

Poe sets down his bottle and finishes the last bite of his sandwich. "I'll go start the water, if you like."

Karé nods. "I'll be there in a parsec."

Poe smiles and kisses the top of her head after he stands. He throws the wrapper from his sandwich into the same garbage chute where he'd tossed the condom, and somehow that seems strange, to Karé, like... too normal.

She feels funny when she stands up, which at least is _expected_ , at least that much assures her they did _something_ different and new.

Both of their drink bottles go into the recycling — Coruscant runs on recycling — and pads into the fresher. Poe is already standing under the hot water, his face turned up to the spray, eyes closed. 

He's beautiful. Karé's thought so since their first orientation day at the Academy when they were twelve years old and she could tell he'd been off crying somewhere, homesick, with his big, sad red eyes.

"Hey," she says, stepping in beside him and wrapping her arms around his waist, kissing between his shoulderblades. "Think I can get you hard again now?" They're going to get good at this, one day, and maybe her stomach won't flutter every time she says things like that. Or maybe it will. Karé wouldn't mind if she were sixty years old and still shivery over this boy.

"Absolutely," Poe says. "I mean, saying it like that was a pretty good start, to be honest."

"Oh yeah?" Karé flattens a hand on his tummy and slides it down, through the hair beneath his belly button, following it down to where it's curliest, right around his cock.

"I'm really not," Karé says. "I think that fancy lube really helped."

Poe's eyes narrow. "Are you making fun?"

"A little, but I also think it's true."

"I could just do you right here," Karé offers. "I am a bit tired for like, sex, I think." She bites at his shoulder blade, licks away a drop of water, trails her fingers down around the base of his cock.

"Well, I guess you got to come twice, too," Poe says, deeper-pitched than usual. "So it's... still fair."

"Even if it weren't," Karé considers, "I like getting you off. If I asked nicely, you wouldn't say no, would you?"

Poe groans and Karé can feel the vibrations of it through his back, against her lips.

"Let me," Karé says, running her teeth along the blade of his shoulder. "I want to jerk you off, please."

"Okay," Poe says quickly. "Yes, sounds good."

"I thought I might have to convince you," Karé laughs, pushing his hair aside to kiss his neck. Her other hand curls around his cock and twists slowly, deliberately. She has practice with this; and she's good at it.

This, they've done more than anything else, if only because it's easy to get the angle right half-hidden under a flight suit or under blankets during a holofilm surrounded by their clueless friends.

Karé rubs her thumb against the ridge of his cockhead and digs it into his slit as she turns her hand, and wraps her other arm around Poe's waist to keep him steady.

"Force," Poe swears under his breath. "You're very good at this."

"I like making you feel good," Karé says, kisses his shoulder again and sucks his skin between her teeth to leave a mark.

Poe doesn't answer with words, but she didn't expect that — not if she was doing as well as she thought she was, anyway.

He grips her hip, in spite of the awkward angle it takes to twist his arm that way, and Karé can feel his chest heaving with how hard he's breathing now.

The water is still hot enough for the fresher's transparisteel doors to be frosted over with steam. It's like they're hidden away from the whole world like this.

"Come on," Karé says. "Poe, come on."

She moves her hand a little faster, and wonders if someday they might be good enough at all this to have sex this way — they're about the same height, it wouldn't be logistically impossible. She could lean over against the tile walls and Poe could stand behind her, almost a reversal of what they're doing now.

She can't see it when he comes — she almost never has, now that she thinks about it; they're always hiding, and she thinks that at some point this weekend she'd really like to _see_ — but she likes the way it feels in her hand when his muscles tense up and pulse.

Karé lets her hand go loose around his cock but keeps squeezing him in gentle waves. She's learned she can drag it out like this until he has to push her hand away.

"Sensitive," he explains. "Thank you, though." He kisses her fingertips before turning around to face her, finally, the water at his back.

"I told you," Karé says. "I like it." She lifts her hand to let the spray rinse it clean, and leans into his chest.

Poe pulls her closer, his arms around her waist. She can feel the scratch of his wiry hair and the skin of his almost-soft dick up against her lower belly, but there's no pressure to _do_ anything.

Nothing but kiss him, anyway, and tilt her head against his collarbone, close her eyes. Poe shuffles them around so the water is running against her side, keeping her warm, and she's so comfortable she could nearly fall asleep like this.

"You want me to wash your hair?" Poe asks softly.

"I washed it earlier," Karé sighs. "Maybe — I'll get it wet and you can put the conditioner in it again?"

"Okay," Poe says, sounding slurred with sleepiness and sex and — happiness, Karé hopes.

"I love you," she says. She knows she can't stop saying it, tonight, is probably being ridiculous.

"I know," Poe says. And he kisses her forehead, even though she has spots, before passing her the bottle she'd left on the shelf earlier.

* * *

"We should ask Captain Verlaine about getting some of these for the Academy!" Poe yells to Karé as they zip around a corner on their rented air-speeders.

"Yeah, I'm sure she'd _love_ us racing down the corridors on these between classes," Karé laughs. She can see the inevitable pile-up now.

"They'd be useful!" Poe yells. "For target practice!"

"You're useful for target practice," Karé shouts back, overtaking Poe around a hairpin turn.

They'd rented the speeders from a stand down the street from the hotel, offering a two-for-one deal all weekend. It was cheaper than a guided tour of the city, anyway, and finally, _they_ get to drive.

They don't have enough money left to do use the speeders to go anywhere and _do_ very much of anything — there's the Rebel Alliance Museum and the Alderaan Memorial Statuary Garden and the Dacquarium all within blocks, but out of reach.

Karé doesn't mind. She'd rather have Poe to herself and be able to laugh as loud as she wants, anyway.

Some day they'll come back and see the entire city, all the fancy museums and expensive restaurants, and stay for a couple of weeks instead of three days.

"On your left!" Poe calls, and Karé has just enough time to speed up so that he can't pass her. He comes up alongside, straining to keep the speeder controlled at the sudden change of course. They stick their tongues out at each other.

"You're good," Karé says, loud over the hum of the motors. "Just not as good as me."

"I," Poe says, scowling; his engine revvs with a sweet whirr, "Am the best pilot in the galaxy."

He pulls off with a burst of speed, weaving around a knot of tourist traffic blocking the speedway with a confusing bundle of bleating wings and maps.

"That's what I let you think," Karé laughs, and follows him. They weave through the streets and along one of the big parks, and Karé lets him keep the lead.

"Two laps," Poe offers, "Perimeter and to the clock tower? And then I'm starving."

"Winner picks dinner," Karé agrees. "Let's go, flyboy." She's off without warning, cutting him off again on the first turn.

"Cheater!" Poe howls, but then he skids almost sideways under her bike. 

The downwash of the air current almost sends her over as Poe looks back and grins, righting himself.

"Now who's cheating?"

"I just like being underneath you," Poe calls back, revving his engine and darting around the next corner.

"Caraya's breath," Karé mutters to herself, and she kicks the air-speeder into the next gear.

In the end, he wins because she gets stuck behind a transport of small school-aged children, and has to detour from their agreed course. She's still only a blink behind him in reaching the clock tower.

Poe grins, cheeky and bright-eyed and arrogant and _annoying as always_ when he wins. "I told you," he crows. "Best pilot in the galaxy, me."

"Alright," Karé groans. "What are we doing for dinner, then?"

"I want to take you someplace nice," Poe says. "I mean, nicer than sandwiches and takeout soup."

"I don't mind takeout soup," Karé shrugs. "And I didn't bring clothes for anything fancy, so."

"Well, I can't afford _fancy_ fancy, not like — " Poe cuts himself off. He shrugs. "Not like you're used to, when you think of fancy. But I can afford like, a place with actual plates and cloth napkins. I want to do that."

Karé grimaces. She hates the way people go awkward about her past. Poe's better about it than anyone, but he still trips over it sometimes. "Okay. Can we go back to the hotel first, though? I'm sweating like crazy."

"Me, too," Poe admits. "I stink."

"You do?" Karé asks, with her most innocent eyebrows. "I was gonna tell you that you smell better than usual, actually."

"Cruel mistress!" Poe groans, and clutches his chest. "Alright. You're better with directions, you better lead the way."

They mount the speeders again and take off, the air rushing around them.

Back at the hotel, Karé is ready faster than Poe is; she washes her face and uses a wash cloth for a quick sponge bath. She changes into a different top, and then has to wait another ten minutes for him to finish fixing his hair.

"I thought you were hungry."

"I am, I'm famished," Poe says. "But that's no reason to look like a prickle-shrub."

"You don't look like a..." Karé pretends to drift off into thought. "Nevermind, you're absolutely right," she decides.

Poe grouses as he arranges a single curl with meticulous dedication. "We can't all look perfect every moment of every day, you know." He nods at his reflection, seemingly satisfied. "Most of us have to settle for looking perfect only _most_ moments of the day."

Karé leans in the doorway and watches him, patiently. "Your modesty is an inspiration to us all."

Poe doesn't look the slightest bit chastened. 

"Okay," he says, and puts his datapad back into his pocket. He's wearing a blazer. Karé didn't even know Poe owned a blazer. "Let's go see if there are any real-napkin restaurants nearby."

Karé swallows. "Wait, I — hold on, I brought one dress," she admits. "If you're serious about going somewhere... nice."

"You look nice," Poe says, but he nods, and Karé grabs her duffel and darts into the fresher. She's suddenly self-conscious about her hair, too, windswept frizz around her face from their ride through the city, but she doesn't want to keep him waiting. The dress will have to do.

It's simple, because that's what she likes, but it's... Nabooian simple. Poe’s eyes widen as she comes out of the fresher. 

Karé adjusts the halter neck, checks quickly to be sure it's draping the way it should across her boobs, and does a quick twirl for him. "Acceptable?"

"Wow," Poe says. "Very. You're — wow."

Karé slicks back a few strands of hair behind her ears. "Come on, I really am starving now."

Poe nods and holds out his hand. Karé twines their fingers together, squeezing lightly.

She loves holding his hand. Most of the time, it's the most physical they can get without risking demerits or merciless teasing. And half the time they get teased anyway. Which is fine; Karé's relatively sure she's the only one so far to figure out Muran and Iolo are just jealous that the two of them _aren't_ holding hands. And Jessika gets ripped, too, for her crush on that girl Peet in the mechanics' pool. It's just the pilot way.

Poe's found them a small cafe just a couple blocks from the hotel, and it's a nice walk as the air gets cooler in the evening. They're given a table tucked into a window nook, and it has a table cloth, like Poe promised. The windows reach from floor to ceiling, a view of the old Jedi Temple — now the Republic Museum — just visible in the distance, bathed in rose-gold light.

They get a bottle of the house wine to share, and it's a bit dry, but Karé has Poe's ankle twined around hers and they're still holding hands across the table top. Nothing else really matters.

"I'm surprised they served us," Poe says, looking at the wine bottle with no small amount of pride.

"It's Coruscant proper," Karé shrugs. "I'm sure the politicians downtown would throw a fit if restaurants refused to serve their young aids and staffers. We're just reaping the benefits."

Poe smiles with relish. "Maybe that'll be us, one day. Right-hand to Senator Princess Leia Organa and... what's the Naboo one's name, again?"

"Thadlé Berenko," Karé says. "For now. We have elections more often."

Poe nods. "Would you want that? I know you like your political theory courses."

Karé shrugs. "It wouldn't be terrible. I want — it sounds bad, if I actually say it."

"What?"

"I want to get to do something exciting," she says under her breath. "Like... fly an X-wing for _real_ and not just for an airshow."

Poe looks at her seriously for a moment, and takes another sip of his wine. "You could always get one of the Outer Rim assignments. Fly security for some of the humanitarian aid transports that the senate sends out there, or just do patrols."

"I guess," Karé says. "But then I'd be really far away from you."

"Maybe I'd come with you," Poe says.

Karé feels warm and sad and strange under her ribs, and maybe it's the wine. Maybe there's a reason they aren't supposed to be drinking it, if it makes everything feel so... close and urgent and emotional. 

Karé doesn't know what she wants to do after they graduate. She just knows she wants Poe, and she has him right now.

Poe shrugs. "Or I could just stay home with the kids." He glances up at her, and Karé can't even tell if he's teasing or not.

Karé hasn't looked at the menu once. She tries to skim through, but she's too hyper-aware of Poe's thumb running over the back of her hand. She picks the first thing off the top of the specials of the day. "The pasta looks good."

Poe laughs. "There are like, twelve pastas, Karé."

"Oh," Karé says. "Um, I'll just get whatever you're getting, then. Easy."

Poe looks down at his own menu for a moment. "I'm sorry if I like, freaked you out," he says, quietly.

"It's okay," Karé says. "I just... all of a sudden felt very grown-up. And I don't really know what to do with that."

"Me, neither," Poe says. "But... me, too. If that helps."

It does, and Karé nods, squeezes his hand. Their waitress is approaching, and she doesn't want to be having this conversation around other people.

The waitress is Twi'lek and gorgeous and she does a double-take at Karé in her Nabooian dress. Karé inclines her head respectfully, and examines the waitresses' manicure as Poe orders. She watches their waitress' lekku swing gently against her lower back as she walks away.

"She's pretty," Poe says, in a knowing voice, pushing Karé's wine glass over to her.

"She is," Karé says. She fixes Poe with a look.

Poe raises his eyebrows. "What."

"Don't get cocky, kid," Karé says, simply. "We've only had sex _twice_."

"I was just saying," Poe says, mock-indignantly. "You thought she was hot."

"Yeah," Karé says. "But I'm here with you. You're who I want to be here with."

Poe rubs his ankle against hers under the table. "I know that. That's why we can talk about it, like, if you think someone else is hot."

Karé nods. "I know." And she does; it's the same for Poe, back at school, when they watch the Sabers on live holofeed and everyone salivates over Han Solo, even though he's old and gray now.

 _Old and gray and amazing,_ Poe always says, and sticks out his tongue at her like he's five years old.

"I'm not thinking about Han Solo!" Poe says, like he read read it on Karé's face, and she has to laugh, the strange tension from before, when he talked about the _future_ like it was real, and really going to happen soon, all broken.

"You are now," Karé points out, triumphantly. She takes a long sip of wine and sits back in her chair. Poe is flushed slightly, and it's incredibly pretty in the sunset light coming through the wide window.

Poe buries his own face in his wineglass.

They still have all night tonight and most of the day tomorrow to spend together here.

It still feels a little like a dream, like he'll be shaken awake and have to run for an early class at any minute, and wave at Karé longingly across the room of desks.

Karé runs her foot along the inside of his calf under the table. Just because she _can_.

"Okay," Poe says, exhaling heavily. "Definitely not thinking about Han Solo now."

Karé laughs and trails her toes back down to Poe's ankle. "Yeah, he's probably got much bigger feet."

Poe makes a terrible face.

"See what I did there?" She wiggles her eyebrows at him. "It's funny because _feet_ but also, dick joke — "

"Yeah, thank you," Poe says. "I got that."

Karé beams. Outside the window, there's a flare of light as the Coruscanti sun flashed at the horizon line, the last blaze of light glinting off of billions of transparisteel panes all at once.

Their food arrives only a few minutes later, and Poe grins at Karé as the waitress compliments her on her dress.

Karé smiles, looking up from under her eyelashes. She knows it's a nice dress, and she knows she looks good in it. "This old thing? Thank you. I like your nails."

The Twi'lek beams. "Thank you! I know it's impractical for work, but they just make me so happy."

Karé grins. "I wish I could still get manicures, but. Pilot." She catches Poe's eye across the table and winks. "We're both pilots."

"That must be exciting," the Twi'lek says, and looks at Poe for the first time, smiles shyly. "My brother just got accepted to the Naval Academy, we're very proud of him."

"He'll like it," Poe says, nodding. "Everybody's really nice."

"You're graduates, yes?" She looks between them, and smoothes down the front of her half-apron.

Karé looks at Poe, because this is might be a trap, given the wine in their glasses.

"Yeah," Poe says, without a pause. "Class of ‘AGE16." 

Their waitress nods, and looks hesitantly at Karé. "Well, if they're all as nice as you, I have no worries about my brother." Her cheeks turn a funny color, what must be the Twi'lek version of a blush, and she clears her throat. "I hope you enjoy the food! I'll check back in later."

They manage to make it until she's back behind the swinging door of the kitchen before Karé and Poe both fall forward and clutch at each other's hands, laughing.

"I thought she was gonna bust us!" Poe chokes, his eyes wide.

"Me too," Karé gasps. "Kriff."

"Well, you could pass for twenty-one," Poe says. He shakes his head. "I'm... all gangly still. I'm okay with that, I just — I didn't want you to get in trouble.”

Karé makes a face at him. "You're not... _gangly_. You're just... a little... gawky, sometimes."

"Thanks," Poe says dryly. "There's such a big difference."

"Eat your pasta," Karé says, sighing. "You know you're cute."

"I am cute," Poe agrees. "I'm good at being cute. Someday I'll be sexy, I think, but cute's working for me. Got me you."

"No, your butt got you me," Karé corrects him, drawing her fork through the pasta on her plate. It smells incredible, and there's no reason it shouldn't be in her tummy immediately.

Poe has to cover his mouth to keep the pasta inside when he laughs.

* * *

When Karé opens her eyes, the room is still pitch dark. There's no light around the edges of the window curtain, even, and it takes her a moment to figure out what woke her. Despite their giggliness from the wine at dinner and after, playing a filthy version of Aurebabble on Poe’s datapad, she doesn’t think that she was actually _tipsy_ at any point, and she doesn’t need to pee.

She gingerly stretches her legs — they’d had sex again when they got back to the hotel after dinner, and maybe she’s more sore than she realized? But there’s no pain lingering in her limbs, just the ordinary stiffness of sleep. Then Poe shifts, his arm over her waist sliding her closer, and his breath catches, warm against her ear. He’s hard again.

She's never gotten to spend the whole night with him before, except once on a training mission to the old Hoth base when all of Rapier Squadron huddled together for warmth. And that doesn't count. (Although Poe's comment about Muran's downstairs arrangements does clarify some things about that memory.) 

That night, Karé never felt like she'd be warm enough again, but now... even though she's only wearing one of Poe's t-shirts and they'd elected not to sleep under the hotel duvet, because even on Coruscant it seemed suspect, she's flushed with heat. She's never gotten to _wake up_ with Poe, before, is the relevant point here; never gotten to wake up to his cock pressed to the small of her back.

Poe shifts against her again, and it's clearly intentional this time. He kisses the spot just behind her ear that always makes her nipples pebble up like it's nothing. She can hear him breathing, quiet in the dark.

"Hey," she whispers, because it feels like she should alert him somehow to the fact she's awake.

"Hi," he whispers. "I thought you might be up. You were — moving around a lot."

"Was I?" Karé bites her lip. She was dreaming something, although it's gone murky now that she's awake. She shifts experimentally, and — oh, fuck, she's wet. So slick between her legs she wonders if Poe can hear it when she moves. That... sheds some light on the dreams, then. Karé's face feels prickly with heat.

"What?" Poe asks, still up close behind her, his lips soft as he plays tiny kisses along her neck.

Karé can't tell whether he's asking or teasing, but she guides his hand down between her legs anyway.

She can feel his harsh little inhale when his fingers slide across her. "Oh, fuck. Babe. Karé."

"Do you want to?" She asks. They're both whispering even though they're alone. It feels more right, in the dark, with the ambient buzzing of Coruscant still alive outside their window.

"I always want to," Poe says, "Getting you off — or, like, trying to — is my favorite thing in the _universe_."

Karé smiles into the pillow. She just lies there for a minute enjoying Poe's fingertips before she looks over her shoulder enough to see the dim light from the blinds reflect on his dark eyes. "Can you get a condom?"

Poe's eyes go very wide in the dark. "Oh, shit. Really? Again? I thought you just meant — "

Karé shakes her head. "I want — unless you don't want to, now, then we can... whatever you want. That's what I want."

"No, I — I mean, what I said before is still pretty much true," Poe says, voice cracking.

"Okay," Karé whispers. "Condom?"

"Right," Poe nods, "‘Course.” 

He rolls away from her just far enough to reach for the nightstand where he left the strip of permafoil packets earlier. There’s a crinkling sound and a tear, and the soft liquid sound of the fancy lube bottle.

Karé spreads out across the bed. It's _huge_ compared to the bunks she's gotten used to over the last few years. She can stretch her arms and legs out as wide as they'll go, X-wing shape, and still not touch the edges. The mattress is softer than the bunks, too, covered in foam that sinks when Karé presses her hand against it. 

Poe scoots back from the edge of the bed and flops on his side next to her, leaning over her just enough for their kiss to be at a good angle.

It's cozy, kissing in the dark under soft sheets on a big bed, all alone. It makes everything flutter in Karé's chest. The way Poe's leaning over her, carefully propped on one hand beside her shoulder, is nice, too, makes her feel steadied and safe. She can run her hands up his back and feel the muscles in his shoulders.

Poe rumbles softly, like a purr, Karé thinks, as he settles himself over her and moves his hands to cup her jaw, gently, gently. Karé tilts her head up into the kiss, arches her back to press her chest against his. She can feel his cock through the loose material of his pajama pants, against her hip. His weight over her seems even warmer than usual in his just-woken state. His skin is soft everywhere under her fingers, and she loves him _so much_. 

Poe tilts her head back as he pulls away from the kiss so he can get to her throat with his lips. He bites, just enough to leave a definite bruise as a souvenir of their trip.

Karé huffs approvingly, and wraps her leg around his, drawing her heel up the back of his calf. "Were you thinking of me? Just now, before I woke up."

"Yeah," Poe whispers, and he moves the neckline of the t-shirt aside to kiss her clavicle with another soft suck. "Always. I was dreaming about you? And then I woke up and you were here, and it was really great. But I didn’t mean to wake you up."

“I’m glad you did,” Karé says, and runs her fingers through his hair. It’s so thick, it tickles the palms of her hands as she holds it back from his face as he kisses along the stretch of her collarbone. 

Poe slides his leg over one of Karé’s, easing more of his weight over her, his cock pressing at her hip, and sighs against her mouth. Poe’s always liked kissing, and Karé’s always known this, but she never thought it would _distract_ him from other sex things. It’s adorable, honestly. 

She scritches her fingers against his scalp again and pulls back just enough to nuzzle his nose once. “Sextime?”

Poe giggles and nuzzles her nose back, a little too fast not to be teasing her a bit. “You’re very insistent.”

“I think I was dreaming about you, too,” Karé says. 

Poe makes a happy, quiet sound at that and starts to nudge his way into the gap between her parted thighs, but Karé puts a hand to his chest.

“Wait, can we try — like we were, when we woke up? Spooning like that?” 

Poe sucks his lower lip between his teeth and blinks at her. “Um, yeah?” 

Karé nods, then, and Poe’s weight lifts enough that she can shift onto her side, one arm up under the pillow supporting her head. She’s right in the warm divot she left in her sleep, perfectly formed to fit her, and it feels cozy and soft and good.

Poe fits himself to her back, closer than he was when they woke up, and leans his face against her neck, nosing at the loop of braids at her nape. Karé lets him open her thighs up with his hands and she tries a few quick ways of resting her top leg on his hip and thigh behind her, just so he has room. She’s not sure exactly what she’s doing, but she already feels… different, than she did, the last two times. Like she’s _going_ to know what she’s doing.

“Do you want the lube?” Poe asks, quietly, fingers curling around her hip. 

“I think I’m good,” Karé says. “Wet.”

"Okay," Poe says, and he leaves a small kiss on the new bruise on her neck. "If I — if the sex doesn't make you come, can I do it with my mouth after?" There’s a fumble between their legs, but it just brushes him, his cock and his hand, all over Karé’s clit and where she is, definitely, open and very wet. Poe touches her hip with sticky fingers. "Do you want to — uh, maybe help — " 

"Yeah." Karé lifts her leg and reaches between her thighs, fingers searching for him.

It still takes a moment, between the two of them both shifting and adjusting, and Karé huffs impatiently.

Poe feels _bigger_ this way, like there's more of him to press against more of her than she'd had before. Karé chews the inside of her cheek and leans back against Poe's chest, tries to give him a moment to get settled. She can feel the speed of his heartbeat up against her back. She tilts her head back against Poe's shoulder, turns her face against his neck and _breathes_.

Poe pulls her hips back, his knees and thighs and hands all working together to bring her closer.

"Oh," Karé says, "Yes, like that?" The blunt stretch of him from the times before is something entirely different. She needs her fingers on her clit _now_. 

"Okay, yes." Poe kisses her hair again. His arm wraps around her more tightly, his hand slipping under the t-shirt and up to cup her breast. "Tell me what you need.”

"Yeah," Karé breathes, although she's barely sure of what he just said: she has two fingers on her clit and Poe is pushing his leg between hers to angle _up_ inside her, and she's making a weird noise before she can stop it.

"Good noise?" Poe asks, his voice tight and low and close as he kisses _that spot_ behind her ear again.

Karé nods desperately. "Really good, you feel — fuck, you feel _good_."

Poe laughs breathlessly and it turns into another one of those purring groans that Karé is coming to think might be her favorite sound.

She wriggles her ass further back against him and moans again. She can feel his cock twitch when she does, and it's ridiculous and impossibly cute. "You can move more," she tells him. "Seriously."

She feels Poe nod, but he doesn't say anything. He starts to rock a little faster, though, and his thumb swipes over her nipple. Sooner rather than later, she’s going to figure out how to get Poe to _fuck_ her, hard and fast.

"I'm close?" Karé says, "Fuck, I think — Poe — " She's glad of how closely they're tucked together, because she's shivering with it, her legs shaking. He’s touching something differently inside her than his fingers ever have, and she doesn’t know what to _do_ with how much — just how _much_.

"Oh, Force, please." She feels the whispered words against her neck more than she hears them over the blood roaring in her ears.

It's — _weird,_ mostly, coming on his cock, and Karé immediately decides she likes it better than fingers. Her body bears down on him and she takes her fingers off her clit to reach back and grab his hip, suddenly nervous he might pull away. That seems like the worst thing in the world, right now.

"I'm right here, oh _fuck_ ," Poe grunts.

Karé digs her nails into his side, urging him on, even though she's gone so tight around him that he's mostly staying still, rocking them gently.

"I love you," Poe whispers against her neck. "Fuck, kriff, Karé."

"You too," Karé breathes. Her throat is burning, so she must've been breathing harder than she realized. She can't stop clenching around Poe's cock. "Are you — can you finish like this?"

"Uh, yeah, taken care of," Poe admits. "That was — intense."

Karé frowns, and rubs her nose along his jaw. "Sorry, I didn't mean to miss it."

"No, you were — you were good, you were doing your own thing," Poe says. He's babbling a bit, holding her close. His hand is running soothing circuits over her belly and side, tickling her ribs.

"Hold on," Karé says, "Did we come at the same time?" That seems impressive.

"Uh, I don't think so," Poe says. "I just, um. I kept going because you were — I don't know how to explain it, but I felt like something was gonna happen if I kept going."

That makes slightly more sense, Karé decides. Although she's still not sure how she missed it. "Well, thanks. That was — that was really good for me." It's still reverberating in her chest.

"I'm glad," Poe murmurs. "I was... nervous it'd always be awful."

"Poe," Karé groans.

"I _was_ ," Poe says, digging his fingers into her ribs. "I didn't want you to just suffer through it, or whatever."

“That was not suffering," Karé says, firmly. "Anyway, even if it had taken like, ten more times, that would've been okay."

Poe quiets, his thumb drawing small circles around her navel. 

Eventually, it feels — too strange, uncomfortable, having him soft and snubbed up just-inside, and the condom is cold and sticky. Karé squirms enough that Poe gets the hint and pulls away, but this time he does just drop the condom over the side of the bed and roll back to her.

Karé still feels like she needs a wash cloth, or just another shower, but that can wait a few more minutes. She turns over and props her head on his chest. "So."

"So," Poe repeats. His eyes are already closed again. Sleepy boy, Karé thinks; sleepy, ridiculous boy.

" _So_ ," Karé says, louder, just to be annoying. "How was that for you?"

"'Mazing," Poe says. "Last time was..." he yawns and pulls her closer, "'mazing, too. 'S'easy for you to do it right. Just... be you. And like... look at my dick."

Karé laughs. "Just look? That's all I have to do?" She runs fingers down his tummy, makes him squirm as she touches his thighs and the V of his pelvis.

"Pretty much." Poe squirms until he can trap her legs with one of his own. "Aren't you sleepy?"

"Not really," Karé says, and yawns, immediately. "Ugh. Maybe? I'm gonna go clean up, though, I think."

"Okay." Poe yawns again. "D'you need me?"

Karé kisses his cheek. "Nah. I'll be back in a minute."

Poe nods, his hair a soft sound against the pillow. Karé looks back when she gets to the fresher door, and she can just make out the curve of Poe's butt in the dim light as he lies on his front.

He'll be asleep by the time she gets back in bed. Karé blows him a kiss that he can't see, and grins at her reflection in the fresher mirror until her mouth hurts.


End file.
